Pure Mountain Tao

A sage once saw a dog eating the remains of a feast, he went up to him and said, embracing him, ‘Brother, why are you eating alone, without giving me a share?’ So saying, he began to eat along with the dog. The people of the palace naturally thought he was crazy, but when standing before the temple, he began to chant and a nearby temple appeared to shake through the fervor of his devotion. Then the people knew him to be a great Sâdhu. The true Sâdhus roam about like children or mad men, in dirty clothes, and various other disguises.

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In a house of mirrors

Unsure of the next step

Laid out by destiny

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Chinese medicine used exercise extensively to aid in maintaining or regaining health. Rather than simple calisthenics the exercises were very specific, targeting specific parts or areas of the body and used for specific ailments. Also there were numerous fighting arts that developed. The Taoists believed that to master these many arts for health and self protection an inner calm and discipline was required. Chang San-feng is believed to have founded a Taoist monastery on Wu Tang for these studies. Although it is debated whether Chang San-feng was a real person or a legend, the results of the studies are still with us today in the form of Tai Chi and Taoist philosophy.